Robert G. Salatka disclosed an aluminum can compactor in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,796 including a crushing means slidingly coupled to a guiding means, a first plate fixedly coupled to the guiding means for receiving a container and a handle assembly for urging the crushing means against the container for compacting the container, which however may have the following drawbacks:
1. Each can to be compacted should be snugly inserted between two recessed surfaces of the first plate and the crushing means so that a compression operation for compacting the can should be done in a sequence of "one-by-one", which may require much time for loading a can to be squeezed and unloading a finished compacted can after compression operation, thereby causing inconvenience for the compacting operation or reduction of productively for treating a lot of cans.
2. Upon a movement (stroke) of the crushing means for squeezing a can, the can under compression pressure may be irregularly deformed to possibly exert a stress especially at any bending portion of the squeezed can against the two recessed surfaces of the first plate and the crushing means to be accidentally leapt away from the compactor, because there is not provided with any guiding sleeve or protective cover for shielding the crushing means for limiting the can under compacting pressure. Therefore, the compacting operation may be incomplete and may be interrupted when a can under compression is leapt from the compactor.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional can compactor and invented the present aluminum can compactor which may be fed with many cans at one time.